20 Love Stories
by SilverflowerXRavenpaw
Summary: This is a love story I wrote for my forum about Heathertail and her mate. Notice: There are not twenty stories. That's just the title of the challenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Heathertail**

Everyone thought Scourge was a bad guy. In reality, he was just a product of his environment. What would you do if a strange cat attacked you? What would you do in a constant fight for your life? BloodClan wasn't all that bad. All of the Clans were greedy. But history is written by the victor, so everyone thinks Scourge is awful. I know that's wrong. He proved that wrong himself by talking to me, by letting me in.

After leaving WindClan, I found out where BloodClan was. Naturally, I wanted a place to stay without becoming a kittypet. BloodClan seemed like a good option- if I could manage to stay on Scourge's good side. That was no hard task. He and I were like two peas in a pod nowadays. I didn't get why everyone hated him so much. He could be cruel, but if you did what was asked of you, you would be fine. He was just like any other ruler.

At first he didn't like me, but I convinced him to stop hating me. I let him know that I understood why he didn't like me. I was an outsider, and the last time he trusted an outsider he was almost killed. It took some effort to get him to stop hating me for that, but it was worth it. I learned about his true feelings and helped him grow past being a scared kit. I helped him realize that he didn't need to hate everyone. I let him know that he could just be a ruler now. If he got really nice but kept up the punishments, no one would rebel.

He followed my plan. Slowly but steadily we grew closer and closer, until he revealed to the Clan that I was his mate. Of course, that was a bit upsetting at first. I hadn't agreed to that. But he let me know that he just wanted a big ceremony, and that we got. Everybody congratulated me and him, even giving us gifts. I rejected them whenever he wasn't looking, but it was still lovely. We made perfect mates. I loved him with all of my being and I was the only cat he trusted. Being the mate of Scourge had its advantages, too. I never went hungry and my kits were the strongest ones around. Scourge wasn't a bad guy.


	2. Possible Continuation

**Sometimes I look back on my old stories and see crummy old stories. Sometimes I look back on my old stories and see crummy old stories with potential. I was looking at this story, and I decided I didn't do it justice. There was so much more I could have done. I glossed over a lot, missed way too many details, and hardly gave any information whatsoever. I see this as a story that could be interesting, so I'm continuing it. Keep in mind, though, this is one of my late-night writes. It won't be my priority; Hunger Games will come first. If you want to see my other late night write for a vague idea of quality, look at _If Only,_ but I think (hope) my writing's gotten better since then.**

* * *

 **Heathertail**

We couldn't meet anymore. Lionpaw and I both understood that, but separating ourselves from each other was so hard. Many of my Clanmates considered apprentices too young to fall in love, but I knew they were wrong. Lionpaw and I had found love, but it was torn away from us. The other cats were bound to refuse to recognize that, that much I knew. But they would help me cope anyways, help me return to my former self. Leaving Lionpaw for the last time was crushing, and they would have to help me through it.

That was what I expected. I don't know why I thought so much of my Clanmates at the time; WindClan was far from the nicest Clan. However, I can see why I expected more than what I got. I returned to camp with my tail dragging and my head down. I should have hidden my sorrow, maybe then my life wouldn't have turned out so insane. But I didn't, instead showing it off to the entire Clan, letting my entire body show that something had happened. Tallstar was the first to approach me about my state. "Heathertail, what happened? Is everyone all right?"

I shook my head sadly, steeling myself for what I was about to say. I had prepared considerably on the way back to camp, but I hadn't prepared for if Tallstar was to ask me. I was prepared for any warrior, apprentice, queen, or elder, except the one who talked to me first. "No. I'm sorry Tallstar; I met with Lionpaw in the tunnels." That part I knew was wrong. That part I expected to get scolded for, possibly a punishment. It was perfectly fair for me to be punished; I broke the Warrior Code. "But I'm not seeing him anymore. I know I have to stop." I looked down at the ground, waiting to see his response. Would it be angry? Understanding? Would he blow me off entirely? Tallstar wasn't one to ignore a problem, but this one had resolved itself, and the Clan was busy.

Tallstar's fur bristled and his tail lashed as I spoke, forcing me to see how great my betrayal was for the first time. He held his tongue surprisingly well, being as angry as he was. "That was wrong of you, but I'm proud of you for stopping on your own. Now, I'm sure you understand the important of the Warrior Code, and I'm very busy now, so I'm not going to scold you. You will not go to the Gathering for three moons, and you will be on dawn patrol for a moon. That is your punishment, go talk to Crowfeather." I had clearly been dismissed, though a bit more harshly than I expected, so I left. I didn't know why I was expected to talk to Crowfeather right then; he had always been a harsh mentor, and I assumed things would stay roughly the same.

That didn't seem like too harsh of a punishment to me. Tallstar could have done anything he wanted, but he just opted to make me miss out on some sleep and Gatherings. I saw it as hugely merciful, which it was. However, it wasn't the full extent of my punishment. I hadn't even begun to understand how what I had done would be perceived through the eyes of my Clanmates. From my point of view, I had just been a dumb apprentice. There were a lot of things I didn't understand the fullness of back then, and I had accidentally played with one of them. I reached Crowfeather to find myself instantly dismissed from his presence; he was busy talking with another cat. I walked over to one of my friends, still a bit droopy, though I had recovered a bit, and told her the news, hoping she would try to cheer me up a bit. "You know, Breezepaw, I used to meet with Lionpaw in the tunnels. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but it just came to an end, and I'm really upset."

"You did what?" Breezepaw replied, jumping up. "How could you? That's awful! That's against the Code! I need to go think for a bit." He left after that, not saying another word to me for the rest of the day. He talked to the rest of the Clan, as I could tell by all the whispers about me. Breezepaw knew how to get gossip spreading fast, and my story was probably the juiciest bit of info he had gotten that moon. I didn't mind hearing my story fly; the Clan deserved to know, and there was a chance I would learn how to get out of my situation. In all honesty, I wanted pity. Information was important; I did want to recover, but pity was more important for the moment. I expected both. I overestimated my Clanmates.

When I went to talk to Tawnyfur, she turned her back on me without a word. The same happened with Gorseclaw and Feathernose. Every cat I tried to talk to turned their back on me, until I finally gave up trying to talk to anyone at all. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't talk to me. Even the elders, who I had cleaned ticks from of my own free will, shunned me. I knew that what I did was wrong, but was it really that bad? I was still an apprentice after all. I could change. I learned my lesson from just Breezepaw leaving me; I didn't need anything else. I could still be a good warrior, couldn't I?


	3. Continuation Confirmed

**Several moons later...**

* * *

 **Heathertail**

"Crowfeather, what are we doing in training today?" I asked my mentor, curious as to whether I would actually have one that day. Crowfeather despised my actions just as much as the rest of the cats, but he was forced to talk to my anyways, being my mentor. Often times he sent me on private hunting sessions, which he said were to analyze my skills, but we both knew it was just so he didn't have to teach me anything. I wasn't sure if he wanted me to remain an apprentice or just didn't want to teach me, but it didn't matter. Some of the kits were making more progress than I was.

"Today you get to hunt on your own!" Crowfeather replied, sarcastic excitement in his voice. He glared while he spoke to me, clearly expecting a retort. He often tried to provoke me, I assumed so that I would fight with him and get into more trouble, but I wasn't dumb enough to fight him. Instead, I sighed and left, doing exactly as I was told without what could exactly be called complaining.

The moors weren't the most exciting place to be for the most part. Of course, a bit of adventure was fun, but when I had been hunting alone as often as I had, exploring the moors could hardly be considered an adventure. The scenery never changed much. _Unlike ThunderClan's._ I hissed the thought out of my head, remembering that the only reason I knew that was because Lionpaw had described the ThunderClan territory to me. I couldn't let myself think about Lionpaw anymore. Onestar would hate it, and the rest of the Clan would definitely find out, hating me even more.

A quick sniff of the wind informed me that Crowfeather wasn't following me. Part of me told me to run off and enjoy myself, taking whatever punishment I got with my head held high. After all, fun was great, and I had caught as much prey as the rest of the apprentices combined with how often I went hunting. However, the other part of me insisted that that was a bad idea, and that part won, much to my fun-loving half's despair. I told myself I was glad that I was making logical decisions, but I knew it wasn't true. I was just trying to please the Clan once again, never willing to give up my desperate attempts.

Two rabbits were the fruit of my hunting. It took me until sunhigh, at which point I assumed Crowfeather would want me back in camp so he could tell me to do something else. Any other apprentice would have been give praise for my haul. One rabbit was enough to feed three cats, and they were hard to catch. A certain Heatherpaw, however, would be reprimanded for the one extra claw-mark that was on the rabbit and told to get fleas off of the elders, which was exactly what happened. Every time I went hunting.

True to his form, Crowfeather said that I should have done better and told me to help the elders with their flea problem. I didn't mind that too much. Often times other apprentices would give the elders prey while I was there, and they would get told a story. I always pretended that I was being told a story, just like the other apprentice, while in reality the elders still hated me. I felt certain that they hated me more than the infamous Brokenstar himself at times, but I never told anyone that. They likely would have replied that I was being overdramatic.

Onestar came up to me while I was cleaning the elders, presenting me with the surprise of my life. "Heatherpaw," he told me, "Today you will be going to the Gathering with the Clan. I will expect you to be on your best behavior, and it doesn't mean that everyone in the Clan has forgive you."

My awe was clearly present in my face, since Onestar looked down at me with barely suppressed humor. "Thank you, Onestar," was all I could manage to mutter before I was certain I would lose my somewhat steady composure.

The elders released me from my duty to prepare for the Gathering. I ate a mouse, hoping that that would be enough to hold me over through the long night, and then spent the rest of the allotted preparation time pacing the camp anxiously. I didn't bother heading over to where the other cats had gathered; they were too busy glaring at me for me to think they would enjoy my company. Instead I paced until called by Onestar, when I bounced over to the group, barely stopping myself from sprinting to the Fourtrees despite my lack of knowledge of where they were.

Fourtrees was not all I remembered it to be, but I pretended that it was, simply to keep my excitement around. I walked around the entire area repeatedly, glad that we were the first ones there, giving me plenty of time to be happy. As soon as the other Clans arrived, my happiness began to flutter out. Something was different, I could tell, and it hit me once the other cats sat down.

The first Clan to arrive was ThunderClan. They all sat down wherever they wanted, talking happily with all of my Clanmates. None of them spoke to me or offered me a glance. Lionpaw wasn't there, to my simultaneous delight and dismay. It took away the temptation of me wanting to talk to him, but it also meant I couldn't hope for any comfort at all, even if the comfort would have caused me pain. All I could hope was that RiverClan and ShadowClan wouldn't be so harsh.

Of course, with a fate such as mine, they were. Somehow the word had gotten out- probably my Clanmates talking during the other Gatherings- and the other Clans disapproved of me as strongly as my own. Nobody talked to me, even the most excitable apprentices. I tried to talk to all of them, but they all turned their backs. I spent my first Gathering since my repentance in misery, trying to restrain how hurt I was. Onestar couldn't know. He had certainly done that on purpose.

* * *

 **Thank you for your review and help I-really-hope-not. It mattered so much, even though I hardly named any cats this chapter.**

 **To nighttimephoenix, thank you so much! I'm happy I made progress, since I'm ashamed to look at my previous writing.**


	4. Over the Edge

Heathertail

"So, what am I doing in training today, Crowfeather?" I had poured my heart out to Crowfeather early about the Gathering, explaining to him in detail how much it hurt me, how depressed I was. He didn't care at all; he didn't want to be talking to me, but he couldn't leave. He was my mentor, and he couldn't very well leave his apprentice alone outside of the camp. I very nearly forced him to listen to the entire story before asking him what we were doing, mostly wanting to vent and let all of my emotions out, but partially hoping that maybe it would show him that I had learned my lesson. A small part of me still clung to the hope that he would finally forgive me, finally give me something to do.

"You're going hunting alone. Why do you even ask anymore?" The question was rhetorical. I didn't bother answering it, due to that fact and because answering would likely only result in my being scolded for wasting time. I simply ran off again, nodding the smallest nod, to begin my hunting before Crowfeather had an opportunity to rebuke me for anything.

Nearly no part of the moor was left unfound through some part of my multiple hunts, so it didn't take me long at all to find the best hunting spot in the territory that day. That was, the best spot that other cats rarely went to. The warriors and apprentices wouldn't want me hunting in the area they hunted in, so I didn't bother trying. I just went off to the perfect spot for a cat like me- a lonely, outcast spot that still had prey. It had a lot of prey, actually, and I often found myself surprised that I was the only cat who bothered spending much time there.

My day went as normal, tracking scents and trying not to be distracted. The battle that happened to me every day when Crowfeather couldn't be bothered to follow me in my hunts happened yet again, rationality winning out over happiness as it almost always did. A butterfly flew across my hunting area, which was such a sudden change of scenery that I nearly sprang up to follow it before coming to my senses. I had to sulkily hold myself back, tracking a mouse I had been following for ages, when I would have much rather been following the one splash of color in a boring world.

A splash of excitement shoved itself into my life when I heard a pitiful screech coming from near my spot. It sounded full of pure terror, and it curdled my blood, chilling me to the core. I gave up my hunt instantly, dropping the scent trail I had been following to investigate the scream. Crowfeather could rebuke me all he wanted for not doing as I was told; I had to find out what was wrong. No cat could expect me to leave a screech like that alone.

Once I found what the source of the scream was, I learned that what I was doing wasn't only justified, it actually fit in with the Warrior Code. A kit I assumed was Ashkit was pressed deeply into the ground, cringing away from a badger. I screamed louder than the kit was capable of. I was scared, for one thing, but more importantly, I wanted to attract attention to myself. There was a chance at the badger coming after me instead of the kit, and the rest of the Clan would come to my aid.

My plan of attack worked as well as I allowed myself to hope. The badger began to ignore the kit entirely, turning to me instead and attacking me head-on. I figured I was doomed, since no cat could fight a badger with the slightest hope of survival. I couldn't let that stop me, though. It wasn't bravery pushing me on, but cowardice. I didn't want to die, and a badger wasn't going to make me, if I had any say in it at all.

And so I fought. I was faster than the badger was, so for the most part, I just drew it towards me and away from the kit. It hit me once, a blow strong enough I hardly stayed on my paws, but somehow I stayed upright and darted back. I scratched the badger when it hit me, right on the nose, but it seemed to annoy the badger more than harm it, meaning my move was probably unwise. Losing a lot of blood from the wound meant I was finally forced to fight back; I couldn't flee forever or I would bleed out.

I ran up to the badger, hoping to surprise it, and was somewhat successful. It didn't seem to expected anything so forward. I scratched it once, trying to get its eyes. It was a low move, I will admit now, but at the time it was my best hope of survival. Having the luck I had I missed, only scratching its face and annoying it even more. At that point my demise seemed pressing forwards, little by little, but a cry from my Clanmates showed me otherwise.

That kit probably saved my life. It got me into the mess in the first place, but I wasn't certain my Clanmates would have fought to save my life. Three apprentices were coming towards me, glaring at me harshly as always, but racing to protect the kit. In order to ensure that the kit was save, they were forced to help me fight the badger. They fought strongly, much more strongly than I had, due to far greater amounts of training. They also gave us the advantage of numbers, meaning they could afford to be much more bold than I had. After a grueling fight we finally managed to push the badger back and return to our camp.

Quickpaw was granted the right to carry Ashkit back to camp. I was a bit annoyed at that; I had found the kit, I thought I deserved the honor. I didn't bother fighting the decision. There was no possibility that the other apprentices would have taken my opinion seriously. Quickpaw got to walk into the camp with his head held high, like the other apprentices, while I scurried off to the medicine den after a quick nod from Onestar. I made sure to get the nod, since that meant Onestar acknowledged that I was part of the rescue party. If he hadn't nodded in full sight of so many witnesses, who I hoped were willing to value their honor over their hate for me, he would have probably pretended I wasn't part of the rescue at all.

Spotpaw spoke to me while I was in the medicine den. He stopped speaking as soon as he remembered who I was, of course. He was a forgetful apprentice. He managed to leak to me that Onestar intended to make the other three apprentices warriors for their bravery, and for saving a kit. I received no mention whatsoever, and I decided to take it into my own paws to stop that. Crowfeather certainly wasn't going to do anything about it.

Onestar could easily be found in his den, where he often was. I waited by his entrance, hoping he would grant me permission to come into his den. He did, promptly informing me that I wasn't going to be made a warrior and strongly implying that I should go away, implying being the important word there. He didn't expressly tell me to leave, so I didn't technically break any rules when I stayed. "Onestar, it's not fair and you know it. I did something wrong moons ago. Rightfully, I should have been made a warrior long ago. You waited this long, but it's long enough. I fought the badger just as hard as those apprentices."

"No, you didn't. They had to save your sorry, mouse-brained pelt," was Onestar's curt response to my thought-out speech. He turned his back on me upon saying that, but I ignored it. This was an act of injustice I wouldn't allow to be left alone. I had been quiet for long enough.

"I was fighting long before they got there, Onestar," I insisted. "I heard the kit first. I risked my life to save the kit, although I knew I wouldn't be given any thanks. The queen probably would have said that I should have let it die rather than be saved by a disgrace," I added thoughtlessly. "Anyways, I risked my life. I distracted the badger for so long that it actually managed to hit me once. I still evaded it for so long that I nearly bled out." I stopped there to allow him time to respond. It was bound to be a long argument, and I had to save some of my points.

"You shouldn't have been injured. You should have been fast enough to avoid a big, clumsy badger, and smart enough to have taken the kit and fled."

"Straight to the camp, where the kit would find its mother, I presume? So I could lead the badger back here and allow it even more kills?" I was impolite there, but I wasn't ashamed of it. Onestar deserved it. "Onestar, no other cats were there. I could have taken the kit and ran and only led the badger to us or let the queen wait after hearing the kit screech. I was the only cat there, Onestar, and I had to stall."

"The badger easily could have been led away by you. You should have led it away from the kit, then, and brought it out of the territory. You could have kept running until it killed you, if you were in such a sacrificial mood."

"Actually, Onestar, I'm not allowed to leave Clan territory without special permission. I'm an apprentice, remember? And what do you think I was trying to do? I kept leading the badger away from the kit, but it took time. If I ran too quickly, the badger would have gone back to the kit. Luring things take a lot of patience, even if they're as dumb as a badger."

"Account for your enemy's stupidity next time."

"It's better to overestimate your enemy than underestimate them," I retorted harshly. It was hard to drop my voice from falling into a hiss. "That's what all apprentices are taught from the beginning of their fighting training."

"Fine. Fine! You want a warrior ceremony so badly? _You'll get a warrior ceremony._ " Onestar hissed that awfully. I half expected him to claw my throat out then and there. I assumed he was going to give me a dumb name, like Heatherdirt, even though that wasn't an official ending. It was what he would have given me whether or not I had fought him, if he ever made me a warrior without a fight. "Let all cats old enough to run down rabbits gather in the clearing!"

My fellow badger fighters sat in the clearing with me, surprised when I sat down beside them. One of them muttered that I shouldn't be allowed to attend the meeting. I smiled proudly at him, grinning from ear to ear when I saw the look on his face as he realized that I was being made a warrior. The other apprentices just stared in awe; it wasn't every night that four cats were made warriors at once, especially when one of them was a traitor.

"Rosepaw, please step forward. I, Onestar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Rosepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Rosepaw said meekly, nearly trembling at the excitement of becoming a warrior.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Rosepaw, from this moment you will be known as Rosewing. StarClan honors your bravery and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan." Onestar's voice rang out loud and clear, pride noticeable in his tone.

The other two ceremonies went the same way. I was last, as was to be expected, and the newly named Quickflight and Frostears seemed to think it was where I belonged. I held my tongue at how funny I found it that Quickflight's name implied that he was fast at running away; I didn't want to risk ruining the moment I had worked so hard to achieve.

"Heatherpaw, please step forward. I, Onestar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Heatherpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Scorn raged in Onestar's eyes while he said that; it was clear that I couldn't live up to that.

"I do," I answered him confidently, standing up straight where the other apprentices had trembled. Onestar didn't deserve my trembling.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Heatherpaw, from this moment you will be known as Otherpaw- Otherface, I mean. You have shown us another face of your own, and you deserve to be named after it. StarClan honors your independence and initiative, although they shouldn't, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

That was the final straw. For moons I had wondered why I bothered with Clan life when it was the same as being a loner. It was harder than me than it was for some loners, since I had so many tasks Crowfeather forced me to live up to. Being insulted like that finally shoved me over the edge. When the Clan cheered for all of the new warriors except me, it just made me leave faster. Onestar said that I had promised to protect my Clan, even at the cost of my life, but I felt no ties to them. They weren't my Clan, as they had openly shown so many times. I didn't belong there, and I never would again.


	5. Let's Try That Again

**Surprise! This story is still around. Hunger Games does take priority, but I can't pass this story up.**

 **I'm sorry this chapter was ridiculously late. I know that I should try and update a little more often than this (I can't believe it's been almost a month D:). I really haven't been inspired lately; I couldn't decide where to go next or what to do. But now that I know I got to write a chapter. I won't make any promises of when the next chapter will be, but thanks for sticking around!**

 **Heathertail**

While I ran, I thought about Onestar, the jerk I wasn't sure I could call my father. He was my own flesh and blood, but he had dedicated his life to destroying mine, and I couldn't comprehend why. I knew that I had messed up, yes, but I didn't deserve anything near what had happened. In my state of fury, I thought of him as no better than Brokenstar. Brokenstar spent his leadership ruining the cat who brought him into the world and messing with other Clans. While Onestar didn't quite do that, he had spent his leadership ruining the life of the cat he brought into the world. I didn't ask to be born.

Part of me pushed that Onestar couldn't be as bad as Brokenstar. Brokenstar was a murderer, my logic insisted, Onestar wasn't. But while he hadn't killed me, he had ended my life as I knew it. Once I had calmed down slightly I realized that Onestar was a decent leader, when he wasn't making sure the entire Clan shunned a cat for a dumb mistake they made moons ago. Pretty much, I decided that when Onestar wasn't a terrible leader, he was a good leader. I couldn't force myself to love him because of that, but I could convince myself not to hate him.

As soon as my hate for Onestar died down, another thing that I hated resurfaced in my mind. My name was Otherface. It wasn't right. My name should have been something beautiful, like Heatherbrush, but instead it was a mark of hate. StarClan would come to know me as the cat that messed up, not the cat that tried, and I hated it. My name even ruined my chance at getting a life. No cats would want to live with a cat named Otherface, and even if someone came to accept it, the name would be a constant reminder to me of my previous life, and I already remembered that far too well. It was my name, though, and I would have to deal with it.

 _Or do I?_ The thought struck me out of nowhere, but it was true. I didn't have to live with the name Otherface. I didn't even have to have a Clan name, if I didn't want to. Nothing was forcing me to have a certain name if I didn't live with the cats who expected it of me. I wasn't even sure if StarClan wanted me to have my name. They probably didn't care if I started to consider myself as a different name, as long as I did the name right. As little as I cared for WindClan, I wanted to honor our ancestors. They hadn't done anything wrong.

What name would I want? I could choose any beginning name and ending name I wanted. If I chose to, I could do just a beginning name or end name. I could be Barley, like that one cat at the barn. I could even choose something entirely crazy, like Meower or Nope. I wasn't going to, since those names were dumb, but I could.

I decided to use a proper Clan name, partially because I wanted to have the pride I earned, more than any other cat in the forest, and partially because I mostly despised WindClan. ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan were mousebrained jerks, but they weren't anywhere near as bad as WindClan, and I would honor them by following proper naming standards. Of course, I would choose my name for my own reasons, not necessarily the reasons my parents or the rest of my Clanmates would have used, but I would still use the proper name format.

Beginnings and endings flew through my head as I tried to pick the perfect one. While other cats often had a name that described their appearance, I got to choose a name that described my essence. I could have the perfect name, the most fitting name in the entire world, and it was an effort to choose. There were too many possible combinations that could fit me, too many perfect starts with a fitting end.

My name was going to fit, but it was going to be pretty, too. It was a little bit petty, since I was a grown, mature cat, but it was true. If I got to choose my name I would like it. I finally settled on the beginning of Dawn, since my new dawn was what allowed me to choose my name. I was getting an entirely new life, and it seemed fitting that my name would reflect that. I had to choose what ending would fit, but it was a lot easier once I had a beginning.

Heart. Heart was the ending I should use. I could be Dawnheart, showing how I was a new cat. I was no longer a young cat, betraying my family by breaking the Code. I wasn't a cat hardened to hate her mentor with a passion, to hate all of her friends, because they hated her. My name would serve as a reminder, telling me to stop hating my father, because everyone deserved that second chance that I was given. It was the most perfect name in the world, and it was mine.

* * *

 **Even bigger surprise! All of you probably figured out that she wasn't going to be called Otherface, since I wrote in Heathertail's POV. Even I didn't originally plan for Heathertail to change her name, but it's fitting, and she's earned it. Dawnheart! Dawnheart! Dawnheart!**


	6. FIRE IN THE HOLE

**Dawnheart**

Now that I had chosen my name, I could get back to travelling. I wouldn't be shunned anymore because of a jerk, and I could think about myself as myself, not some past idiot. I had never realized in my past how much was in a name, but I knew truly how much it meant to me as I travelled across the territory outside the Clans. I finally felt somewhat confident as a proper warrior with a perfect name. Everything was finally going my way, for once. For the first time in moons.

Well, almost everything was going my way. I had never tried to live anywhere without a Clan before, and it was tiring. I had to constantly be on the lookout for enemies, I slept wherever I could, and I had no idea where I was going. My life was still considerably better than it had been in the Clan, though. I ate when I felt like it, and I slept whenever I wanted to. It just wasn't always proper food, or a nice nest. I was lucky to have run off during Greenleaf, though, so I wasn't too cold. My only particularly worrying problem was how sore my muscles got from sleeping wherever, since it slowed me down when hunting.

After considering my situation, I decided just to follow the edge of the forest where it took me. I would break off if I found something interesting, something I decided I needed to see, but until then, I would just wander. It wouldn't be very hard, and it would at least give me a sense of purpose, and ensure I didn't get hopelessly lost. I worried about being lost for no real reason, since I couldn't get lost if I had nowhere to be, but I worried about it all the same. My brain wasn't trying to use perfect logic right then; it was trying to keep me safe.

Nothing caught my eye for a long stretch as I made my way across the open territory. A couple of obstacles got in my way, but nothing much; sometimes there would be a small creek or rut for me to jump over. Those didn't particularly interest me, since they weren't living things or herbs. I didn't know many precious plants, but I could tell water apart from plants pretty well. I could also tell that a rock was not, in fact, an herb, and it had no need to be carried with me into the nowhere.

What did catch my eye was a beautiful she-cat running around frantically, yowling for "somebody to help her dang kits already!" and pawing near a building. One cat was just staring at her malevolently, while another cat held back onlookers. I didn't like the look of the first cat; as scrawny as he was, there was power in his stance, and the other, bigger cats seemed to respect him. Of course, cats in the Clans could earn respect for being smart, or caring about their Clanmates, but these cats didn't seem to be the kind who cared about family values.

Naturally, knowing the Warrior Code, I rushed over to help. I snuck over as quietly as I could while still moving with the urgency I needed, getting many stares from random onlookers. I hoped they were just surprised someone bothered to help and not worried that I was going to die. I really didn't like the looks of the other cats. All the same, no matter had scared I was, warrior or loner, I was determined to follow the Code. That meant I was forced to slip into the building without letting the two leading cats see me, which wasn't hard. They were focused on the other cats.

As soon as I entered the building, smoke filled my lungs. I ran across the building as quickly as I could, holding out for as long as possible before coughing. I doubted the leaders' willingness to plunge into the building after me, but I didn't want to test them. Once I had finally forced my lungs to adjust to the new air, minimalizing the coughing, I perked my ears to listen for the noise of kits. It was hard to hear anything above the shrieking of the mother, but by focusing I could barely make out terrified mews coming from above me.

I went up the stairs. I hated it the entire way, since the air got stuffier, smokier, and hotter as I rose, but I forced myself to go up the stairs. All I could smell was smoke, and I could still barely hear the kits. When I hit the landing, the kits were still above me, so I went up more stairs, getting even more hot, and being able to breathe even less. I actually saw the fire as I rose, which wasn't good when I was inside the building. It was growing quickly, meaning I had to rush my rescue mission.

Of course, the kits, being dumb kits, were on the level the fire was on. Luckily, they had the common sense to stay away from the fire, but it was still upsetting to be stuck so close to a raging fire. I ran as far as I could in their direction, stopped to cough, ran again, and repeated the cycle. It took me multiple attempts to get across the building, but I did, little by little. I could hardly see through the smoke, and the kits' mews were fading, but I reached them, despite their best efforts.

The kits mews got a bit louder when they noticed me, followed by bouts of coughing. There were only two, which was a relief. I could carry them down in two trips, then. Or, if I was lucky, I could carry them down in one. They were small kits, so I shoved them close to each other and grabbed them both by their scruff. My mouth was entirely full, forcing me to breathe through my nose, but I successfully lifted them up and headed down the stairs.

Upon reaching the floor level of the building, I realized my dilemna. Outside of the exit, two guards were lurking, and they probably didn't want me saving the kits. Inside the building, I was going to die. There was only one exit I saw that was big enough to fit a cat through, except a high-up ledge that had bars going across it. I probably couldn't reach the ledge on a normal day, much less when I had two kits dragging me down. I had to try to reach it or fight the guards with lungs full of smoke and messed up eyes, though, so I went over to the annoying ledge and tried to find a way to reach it.

The nice thing about burning buildings was stuff scattered everywhere. Most of the stuff was big and heavy, heavier than I could hope to move, but one odd, four-legged structure was light enough that I could push it. I had to put both of my front paws on one leg and lean to move it forwards, but it did move forwards. I just had to push it again and again, slowly forcing it to the ledge. Once it got to the ledge, I was able climb on top of it and jump from the top of the structure to the annoying ledge.

My annoying ledge provided another difficulty for me, because StarClan wasn't on my side that day. There was an even more annoying hard thing in it, which was apparently being held up by the four weird things sprouting from the middle. I was very frustrated when I saw that. I was so frustrated, in fact, that I raised my paws and banged them into the hard surface, putting as much pressure into my annoyed strike as I could.

Much to my surprise, I ended up outside of the building after that. I landed ungracefully in a heap, barely managing not to kill my precious package. I was surrounded by sharp shards of what I assumed to be the odd hard stuff, and I was bleeding from multiple wounds. However, I had successfully exited the burning building, and I was happy. All I had to do was return the kits to their mother and I would have a mission well done, complete, and be free to return to my edge of the forest to travel.

Circling around the building, I lurked behind the guards, showing the mother her kits. She shrieked like someone had just attacked her and rushed over to her kits, which was to be expected, but it gave away my hiding spot, making me question whether StarClan liked me even more. The guards whirled on me, and the scrawny one ordered the larger one over with a hiss. The mother whimpered, but stood over her kits, while the large cat tried to tackle me to the ground. Of course, being an ex-Clan cat, I dodged with ease, taking the large cat by surprise. He didn't stall for long at all before attacking me properly, which took me surprise, and successfully pinning me. "What? You didn't think BloodClan cats could fight?"


End file.
